Feeding mechanism for bonbon-cup machines



Jan. 16,-1923. 1,442,214.

' v G. DE VRIES.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR BONBON CUP MACHINES.

FILED "Mi-14,1921- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Jan. 16, 1923;

G. or; VRIES. FEEDING MECHANISM FOR BO NBON CUP MACHINES.

z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TILED MAR-14,192!- FIG. .9.

Patented Jan. 16, 1923.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORG-E DE VRIES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICANLACE PAPER COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A" CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

FEEIjING MECHANISM FOR BONBONZCUP MACHINES.

Application filed March 14, 1921. Serial No. 452,283;

chines used in the manufacture of paper bon bon cups, souflie cups and the like.

The object of this invention 18430 provide improved means for removlng the blanks from the stack in the magazine and for delivering each set or charge of blanks to the dies in an accurately superposed relation to each other and with all the blanks in the set or charge properly centered with reference to the die.

More specifically it is the object of this machine to provide blank or disk handling devices which will operate automatically without requiring the constant care of an operator, which will be positive in their operation, and which will perform the feeding operation so accurately that waste will be-reduced to a minimum.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a bon bon cup machine embodying my invention, the .magazine being removed.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same with the magazine in place.

Figure 3 is a front elevation, with the magazine removed.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the delivery portion of the feeding mechanism.

Figure 5 is a front elevation on an enlarged scale, of the same mechanism.

Figure 6 is a sectional view likewise on an enlarged .scale, taken on a plane indicated at 66 in Figures 4 and 5.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters thruout the several views.

\Vhile the press, including the plunger, the die, and the means for operating the plunger, is of a common type, a brief description thereof is desirable to clearly set forth the relation of theinvention thereto.

The press and associated parts are mounted upon a table 1. A motor 3 at the rear of the table drives the main shaft 5 thru reduction gearing. The plunger 11 of the press is given reciprocatory motion thru crank 6, connecting rod '7, and beam 8, these parts being supported by the standard 9. The plunger 11 carries a cross bar 12 in which the rods v13'have a sliding hearing.

A crimping member or annulus 15 and weights 16 are carried by rods 13 which have heads 17 limiting their movement relative to the cross bar 12. When the plunger is in a ra sed position it supports annulus 15 and welghts 16 but as the plunger moves downwardly the annulus .comes to rest upon the matrix 20 and the. rods 13 slide in cross bar 12 allowing the plunger a continued movement.

The matrix20 isheated by a gas burner 21. From its lower end a'discharge chute 23 for the completed cups leads to the rear of the machine The upper end of the matrix20 is provided with teeth 24 with which the teeth'25 upon the crimping mem-,

ber 15 areadapted to mesh. The inner surface of the matrix is provided with vertically disposed teeth, of which the teeth 24 on the upper surface constitute radial extensions in a manner Well known in the art. It will be understood that enough blanks are contained in the magazine 26't0 supply the machine for some hours and that the blanks are removed from the magazine in sets or charges, the number of blanks to the charge being determined bythe position of the separating knife hereinafter described. These sets or charges of blanks are then delivered to the press in registry with the serrated face 24 of the matrix 20 where they are clamped by the teeth 25 of the crimping member 15 and are there heldby the pressure of weights 16 while their central por-- tions are pressed downwardly bythe forming head of the plunger 11, drawing the sides of the blanksbetween the teeth 24 and 25, which crimp them into a cup shape. During the forming process and after being so formed, the cups are subjected to heat developed by the gas burner 21 to permanently fix the shape, and they are finally forced by the accumulation of cups above them into the chute. 23 which directs them to the rear of the machine. I

The invention herein claimed being-embodied in the feeder and its associated delivery mechanism for depositing the charge in exact registry with thedie, these parts i will now be more particularly described.

' stack in the magazine is termed the feed mechanism, the operation of which will now be described.

A bearing plate 30 is bolted at 31 to the bed of the machine and is provided with slide grooves upon which the superimposed plates 32 and 33 are adapted to have independent movement transversely of the machine. The plates 32 and 33 are actuated by levers 34 and controlled by a single cylindrical cam 36 having a cam groove 37 within which the pins 38 and 39 mounted respectively upon the levers 34 and are engaged upon diametrically opposite sides of the cam cylinder. Levers 34 and are pivotally supported by bracket 40 and braced at 41 from the bed of the machine. The plates 32 and 33 carry blades 44 and 45. The under surface of the blade 44 is cut away forming shoulder 46, against which abuts the free end of the stripping member 47, pivoted at 48 to the under side of the blade. When stripping member 47 is'in a raised position its under surface will be flush with the under side of shoulder 46. The blade 45 moves in close relation to blade 44 and its upper surface is tapered toward its forward end so that the top of the blade 45 acts as a cam adapted to raise the stripping member 47 to a closed position relative to blade 44.

The disposition of the cam groove and the levers 34 and 35 is such that the blades 44 and 45 are alternately retracted from their advanced position in which blade 44 appears in Figure 3 to the position in which blade 45 appears in the same figure. The magazine 26 is provided with an opening in its side thru which the feeding blades can operate. Blade 44, in the position shown in Figure 3, will support the blanks in the mechanism, while the predetermined quantity about to be fed to the press is dropped onto the delivery mechanism (hereinafter to be described) by the withdrawal of blade 45. As the cam. cylinder 36 rotates, the blade 45 will be projected forward and will raise the stripper plate 47. In. its most advanced position the blade 45 will be immediately below the position of blade 44 in Figure 3. The blade 44 will then begin its backward movement and will be entirely retracted from the magazine allowing the paper blanks to drop onto and to be supported by the upper surface of blade 45, Blade 44 will now return to the position shown in Figure 3, its sharp forward edge entering the stack of blanks and separating a substantially definite number of them from the remainder of the pile. The number of blanks of any-given thickness, which are thus separated is determined with suiticient exactness by the distance between the blades 44 and 45. During the entering movement of this blade the stripper plate 4 y will slide upon the raised portion of blade 45 so that its free end will move with blade 44 into the stack of blanks and will be engaged above the blanks which are to be fed. As soon as blade 44 reaches its advanced position, blade 45 will begin to retreat to the position of Figure 3 and will finally be withdrawn completely from beneath the blanks which have been separated from those remaining in the magazine by the inter position of blade 44 which now carries the weight of the stack. The stripper plate will shanks of different thicknesses it is possible to determine the size or height of the charge. The number of blanks contained in each charge will vary in accordance with the thickness of the paper but thetotal thick: ness will be a constant determined by the distance between the entering edges of the blades 44 and 45. This distance can be altered by providing blades having thickened inner ends or by placing shims beneath one of theblades. It is also within the scope of my invention to make these blades adjustable by providing set screws by which the .upper blade 44 may be raised above its normal position relative to sliding plate 33 in an easily understood manner.

The delivery mechanism which is adapted to receive the charge of blanks from the feeding, mechanism and deliver it to the press will now be described.

A base block 50 is longitudinally slotted at 51 thruout the greater part of its length. It is provided with two sets of grooves, shown in Figure 5 at 52 and 53, within which the slides 54 and 55 have a dove-tailed slid ing bearing. Each of said slides is provided with a set of cars shown at 56 and 57 which project downwardly thru'the slot 51 to a point where they can be engaged by the operating levers 58 and '59 respectively, best shown in Figure 2. i

The slide actuating levers 58 and 59 ar keyed to shafts 60 and 6]., which are. rotat ably journaled upon suitable supports carried by the table leg 2. To the rock shaft 60 is keyed the lever arm 62, to which is pivoted link 63, pivoted at its other end to the cam actuated lever 64.

shaft 5 and actuates the lever 68 thru thecam roller69. Lever 68 is connected by link 70 and lever arm 71 with the rock shaft 61,.

whichcarries the slide actuating lever 59.

Springs 72 and 73 actuate links 63 and 70 in the direction opposite to which they are urged by cams 66 and 67.

For the purposes of this specification, the lower of the two slides of the delivery mech anism, slide 54, willhereinafter be termed the carriage and slide 55 will be called, hereinafter, the positioning slide. The carriage 54: is provided with a longitudinal slot extending rearwardly from its front end thru out the greater portion of its length in which slot the ears 57 of positioning slot 55 have reciprocatory movement. Upon the forwardly extending arms, separated by the slot above referred to, are the integral blocks 7 4 to each of which is attached an elongated finger 75, preferably of resilient metal, upon which the paper blanks are deposited by the feeding mechanism, hereinbefore described.

The positioning slide 55 has a semicircular 1 recess in its front end to which the arcuate plate 76 conforms. The plate 76 is fastened to the silde by means of screws 77 and is provided with notches 78 adapted to'accommodate the resilient fingers 75. The semicircular recess, at the front of the positioning slide, and its arcuate lining plate 76 are so made that the inner surface of the plate 76 will conform exactly to the periphery of the paper blanks received upon the fingers 75.

For making bon bon cups. of different sizes it is necessary to change the male and female die members, the crimping. member, the magazine, and the positioning slide 55. All of these parts are made interchangeable. The die members are not only made in different sizes but are provided with different forms of teeth, whereby cupsmay be fluted in many different styles. The magazines are made in a number of diameters corresponding to the number of different blanks to be used; Likewise, interchangeable positioning slides 55 are provided, with recesses and plates 7 6 of-various internal'diameters corresponding to-the sizes of blanks to be handled.

In Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings the carriage and positioning slide are represented asbeing built up of several pieces of different kinds of materials. In its preferred form the carriage will be made of brass, while the fingers are made of a more resilient material. The brass carriage working upon the steel surfaces of the guide block 50 makes a good and serviceable bearing that will not stick; Forilike reasons the portion 55 of the positioning slide is of brass and the Figure 3, permitting a charge ofblanks to lever arm 71, rock shaft 61, and slide actuatre enforcing portion 55 of said slide may be of more rigid and cheaper metal such as iron or steel. This invention is not tobe limited,

however, to the use of anypartieular niaterials for the construction of the mechanism 70 hereln described.

In operation, the blade 4C5 of the feeding mechanism previously described is with; drawn to the position in which it appears in i 7 5 drop upon the resilient fingers 75. The rotation of cam 67 allows the cam. wheel69 to; reach the fiat surface of the cam; and the pressure ofspring 7 3, acting thru link 70,

ing arm 59, causes the positioningslide 55-to move inwardly toward the die, striking. the charge ofblanks which liesin the path o-f plate 76,uponthe fingers 7 5. The cam 67 is so formed that positioning slide 55 attains its full speed quickly and strikes the charge of blanks with comparatively great impact; The blow tends to true 11 the stack and leave I it with each blank in perfect registry with the others in thecharge. In the rotation of cam 66, wheel 65 upon lever 64, now reaches the sharply. dipping portion of said cam, and spring 72, acting thru link 63, lever-arm 62, and slideactuating lever 58 causes thecarriage 54 to move forwardly more rapidly than the positioning slide 55 so that the blanks resting upon the fingers 75 are car,- ried out of contact with plate 76. The mo tion of the carriage 54 is suificiently'prolonged to carry the blanks supported by fin- 1 0 gers 75 slightly beyond a position of perfect registry over the serrated upper face Qetof the matrix 20. At this time, thedie plunger 11' carrying the crimping member15 is already moving downwardly. The carriage 5e 1 starts its return movement shortly before the positioning slide 55 reaches its most forward position. The positioning slide 55 stops with the inner surface of the plate or positioning stop 76 in registry with the pe- 110.

riphery of the serrated edge 25 of the crimp+ ing member 15, and the paper blanks are -moment when they'are accurately centered above the matrix and allows the fingers to withdraw from beneath them without dis placing the blanks. The plate 76 remains in this holding position whilexthe fingers of carriage 542 are being withdrawnand until i the downwardly moving crimping member I 15 engages the upper blank with .its teeth At this time the fingers 75 will just be 125.

withdrawn from beneath the blanks, which willnow be engaged between teeth 24- of the matrix and ;the correspondingly.,serrated surf-ace 25'o-f the crimping member 15. 1. The I weights 16 carriedby arms 1e of said crimping member provide a constant and adjustable pressure upon the blanks. The plunger ll continues its downward movement exerta pressure upon the central portion of the charge of blanks drawing them between teeth 24% and and crimping their edges upward into a cup-shape which is made permanent by the heat of burner 21. As soon as the clamping of the paper blanks between teeth 24: and becomes effective the positioning slide actuated by cam 67, starts its return movement toward the position in which it shown in the drawings, wherein it is illustrated as about to receive a fresh charge of blanks from the feeding mechanism.

The above described operation is repeated. indefinitely. It is only necessary for the operator to keepa supply of paper blanks in the magazine 26. As each fresh charge is forced by the die plunger 11 into the matrix 20, it causes the cups, previously made, to move one step downward until finally the matrix 20 is constantly full of cups and each stroke of the plunger 11 then forces one charge of the completed bon bon cups out of the bottom of the matrix int the chute 23.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the delivery mechanism of my invention is extremely accurate in its operation. The first impact of the positioning plate 7 6 against the charge of dies upon the carriage trues up the stack and leaves the blanks in a position of perfect registry with each other. The second time the blanks come into contact with the plate 76, said plate functions as a positioning stop. The positioning slide is at rest, holding the plate 7 6 in charge registering position. is just beginning its retractive motion and is moving very slowly when the charge contacts with the positioning stop 76. The impact is therefore very slight and the positioning stop operates elfectively to hold the charge in exact registry with the matrix. Rebound elfects are impossible because of the low speed at which the charge is moving. Also the fact that the carriage is being retracted at the moment when the charge impinges upon the positioning stop insures accuracy, for even should the charge rebound slightly, it would be again moved up into the proper position.

I claim:

1. The combination with a forming press provided with a die, 01- means for placing a predetermined charge of blanks upon the carriage, meansfor actuating the carriage in the direction of the die and across the face thereof, a reciprocable positioning member associated with the carriage and arranged to act upon the blanks carried thereby, mean for actuating said positioning member in the direction of the die to a position of registry The carriage therewith, and means for subsequently retracting said carriage, whereby the blanks upon the carriage will be brought into contact with the positioning member and willbe maintained thereby in a position of registry with the die, pending engagement or the charge by operating parts of the press.-

2. In a bon bon cup machine, the combi- I nation with a die and a machine bed, of guides carried by the bed, a carrier having sliding bearing upon said guides, and aipositiomng member independently slidable upon die mechanism and a magazine, in combination with a carriage reciprocable to and from the die, means for releasing upon the carriage a charge from the magazine, and means for holding the charge in registry with the die during the retraction of'the 95 5. In a bon bon cup machine, a table, die

carriage.

mechanism and a magazine, in combination with a carriage reciprocable on. the table to and from the die, fingers mounted upon the carriage in charge receiving position, an independently reciprocable slide adapted-to into I a cooperate with the carriage, av positioning plate borne by said slide and associated, with the fingers of the carriage in stripping position, means for releasing a charge of blanks from the magazine upon said fingers, and

means for actuating said carriage and the. plate carrying slide, whereby said plateis adapted to hold each charge in registry with 1 the die during the retractive movement of the carriage and its charge supporting fingers,

6. A bon bon cup machine comprising a table, a die mechanism, a magazine, feeding mechanism adapted to remove a charge from the magazine, and delivery mechanism including a pair 01"" reciprocatory slides adapted to receive said chargev and deliver it to a position of registry with the die. I

7. The combination with a magazine and forming press mechanism, of feeding devices including a pair of alternately reciprocatory knives adapted to remove a charge of material from the magazine, a carriage adapted to receive the charge so removed and to con vey the charge to the press mechanism, and I a positioning stop whereby the charge is held properly positioned with reference to the press mechanism pending the withdrawal of the carriage.

8. Mechanism for handling a stack of superimposed blanks, characterized by the combination of a carrier, a cooperating positioning stop, means for supplying the blanks to the carrier, means for actuating the stop to strike the blanks so supplied, means for actuating the carrier to carry the stack out of contact with the stop, means for arresting the movement of the stop in a blank registering position, and means for retracting the carrier to carry the blanks against the stop, whereby the blank supporting portions of the carrier may be withdrawn.

9. Means for delivering paper blanks to a forming press, said means comprising the combination of a blank carrier, a following positioning stop, means for arresting the movement of the stop in a blank registering position, and means for subsequently retracting the carrier to carry the blanks against the stop and withdraw the supporting portions of the carrier from beneath them.

10. The combination with a forming press of means for supplying paper blanks thereto, comprising a magazine, vertically, spaced feedin knives adapted to protrude thru the side 0 the magazine to a blank supporting position, means for actuating said knives whereby they are alternately withdrawn from the magazine, a carrier beneath the magazine adapted to receive the blanks fed by the lmives, mechanism for actuating said carrier to deliver to the press each charge of blanks received thereon, and a positioning stop cooperating with the carrier and adapted to stop in blank registering position behind the blanks, whereby the carrier may be withdrawn from beneath the blanks.

11. The combination with a forming press, of means for supplying paper blanks thereto, comprising a magazine, vertically.

spaced feeding knives adapted to protrude thru the side of the magazine to a blank supporting position, means for alternately withdrawing said knives from the magazine whereby a charge of blanksequal in height to the distance between the knives may be periodically discharged from the magazine,

12. The combination with aforming press,

of means for supplying blanks thereto, said means including a reciprocable slide provided with a blank supporting element, means for delivering a charge of blanks upon said element, a positioning slide associated with said first mentioned slide and adapted to conform at its forward end with the contour of the blanks to be formed, and means for actuating each slide reciprocally at predetermined periods during the operation ofthe press, said positioning slide being adapted to strip from saidsupporting element the blanks carried thereby. v

GEORGE DE vnnis, I 

